13/8 time signature

• Mar 13, 2025 - 17:52

Transcribing Shimbleshanks from Cats for a recital later this spring.

The introduction is in 13/8 time. Musescore allows me to create the time signature, but when I use 8th notes for the cymbal, snare, ride, high-hat etc, it only allow 8 notes, not 13.

Is there any way around this?

By the way I’m a drummer, so transcoding for my kit.

Pete


Comments

In reply to by SteveBlower

Steve: yes. I just discovered the solution. Creating a new time signature in the palette only affects the "visual.: To change the measure, right click the measure, choose "measure properties" and change "measure duration actual ." Hit "okay" and it changes the chosen measure. You have to do this for each measure separately, but it works. Thank for your suggestion.

In reply to by theacadian

No, you didn't follow Steve's advice. It says

  • in the time signature palette click 'More' and 'Create Time Signature',
  • in 'Value' enter the Numerator and Denominator,
  • press Add to transfer the newly-created time signature to the Time Signatures palette.

In reply to by HildeK

Indeed it does. However, in the "Time signature properties" section of the handbook the fine print says "Appearance (visual only): will not affect actual measure duration" ). That then lead me to the "Measure properties, measure duration" section and the "actual" process.

HideK, thank you for your note. My appreciation for Steve was in his quick response to my post, which pulled me from the rabbit hole in which I was stuck, and ultimately lead to learning something new about MuseScore.

In reply to by theacadian

Not sure where you see that "fine print" comment (I don't), but when I use the Create time signature to make a 13/8, and place it in the score, it immediately allows me to add 13 eighth notes to the measure. When I look at the Measure properties... dialog, it already shows a Nominal duration of "13/8".

In reply to by theacadian

Oh, now I see it. You are in the wrong dialog. You get that dialog when you right-click on an already-entered time signature. (Perhaps other ways as well, but I don't know them.)

Instead, open the Time signatures palette (blue highlight) and click the More button (yellow highlight) at the end.

20250314 145958 - time signatures 1.png

Then click the button to Create time signature (green highlight) ...

20250314 145958 - time signatures 2.png

... which will give you the following dialog:

20250314 145958 - time signatures 3.png

This is where you can create a time signature that actually sets the "Nominal Duration" that appears in the Measure properties dialog.

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